U.K. Minister Holds Talks With Meat Industry Over Contamination

Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. Environment Secretary Owen
Paterson said he has called an “urgent” meeting today with the
Food Standards Agency and meat retailers and suppliers over
reports by some supermarkets that horsemeat has been found in
some ready meals meant to contain beef.

“It’s totally unacceptable that people have been sold
something that is not what they think it is,” Paterson said in
a statement on his department’s website late yesterday.
“Investigations are going on across Europe, and the evidence so
far suggests that it’s either criminal activity or gross
negligence.”

Paterson said Findus has notified the FSA that significant
quantities of horse meat had been found in its frozen beef
lasagnes and that two cases of frozen burgers from Tesco and the
lasagne from Findus are linked to suppliers in Ireland and
France respectively.

“In addition, the FSA has ordered food businesses to test
all their processed beef products and is conducting its own
survey of beef products, including those supplied to schools and
hospitals,” Paterson said. “The FSA has said that unless there
is advice to avoid a specific product, there is no reason for
people to change their shopping habits. There is no reason to
believe that processed beef products currently on sale are
unsafe.”